After the rain clears, countless birds seem to be soaring and enjoying the scenery, appearing particularly active.
Are the birds really intoxicated with the beautiful scenery after the rain? No! They are busy searching for food. They not only need to satisfy their own hunger but also bring food back to the nest to feed their hungry chicks.
Birds have a wide variety of “recipes” for food; swallows and cuckoos hunt insects, while sparrows feed on plant seeds, and shrikes eat both insects and small animals. Only crows eat everything. However, these things are not easy to find on rainy days. Moreover, ordinary birds, unlike waterfowl, cannot use a lipid secretion to coat their feathers and make “raincoats.” So even though “swallows fly in pairs in light rain,” they cannot fly in heavy rain. Only when the sun comes out again, the scenery changes, and insects and animals become active, is it the best time for them to show their skills.